INSTEAD of always knocking it football should thank their lucky stars for Sky TV.

We all get fed up of Sky dictating kick-off times to suit themselves but it is times like these that make us realise that if it was not for Sky, English football would be the laughing stock of Europe's major footballing nations.

They are a business and we should appreciate their right to organise the product to maximise their return on their investment. But they proved this week they are also good for the game.

They deserve credit for paying £95m to the Nationwide Football League to screen games for the next four years. They did not have to go so high but by doing so they are going a long way to baling out the 72 clubs whose futures looked bleak after ITV Digital collapsed owing the Football League almost £180m.

Sky's money is the reason English football has been able to create a product and a structure which can be spoken about in the same breath as Serie A in Italy and Spain's La Liga.

In the 10 years since they came on to the scene the quality of football, player, stadium, matchday experience and, of course, television coverage has improved beyond recognition.

They are not daft, either. They know that by coming to the rescue of Football League clubs they will have done themselves no harm for when the next deal for coverage of the Premiership comes around - and some of the current Football League clubs could be in the Premiership and ready to return a few favours.